After Yacht Rock Sunday two weekends ago, I returned home hankering for a nightcap. For ideas, I turned to Pioneers of Mixing at Elite Bars: 1903-1933 and spotted the Corpus Christie that appeared like an Improved Rob Roy-Manhattan hybrid. Once in the glass, the Corpus Christie shared absinthe's ethereal anise aromas crossed with Maraschino's fruity-nutty ones. On the sip, the grape and malt flavors were accented by cherry, and the swallow gave forth smoky whisky, nutty, and anise elements.

Build in a Collins glass, fill with crushed ice, and swizzle to mix and chill. Top with crushed ice, garnish with an orange twist and freshly grated nutmeg, and add a straw.

For Yacht Rock Sunday's menu two weekends ago, I wanted to put a less summery and more autumnal Swizzle on the menu. I had been holding back on using apple brandy until the weather started to get colder, and I figured that it was about time to think again about Calvados. For the spice element in the Swizzle, I looked to Swedish Punsch and thought about how well it worked with apple brandy in the Cason and Murderer's Cocktails. Moreover, I considered how well tequila pairs both with Swedish Punsch in the Chutes and Ladders and with apple brandy in the Broken Crown, so I decided to split the spirits. To bolster the spice, I added cinnamon syrup which pairs well with both apple and agave flavors, and to counter the sweetness, a bit of lime juice. The combination felt a bit regal to me (or it wanted to feel regal), so I decided to pick out of the song title roster Tears for Fears' Everybody Wants to Rule the World.

Tuesday, September 29, 2015

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with an orange twist.

Another drink that I did for Yacht Rock Sundays two weekends ago revolved around one of my favorite classic apricot liqueur recipes, the Culross. Instead of rum, I switched the spirit to pisco to take it in a more floral and tropical direction. I had previously tinkered with the Culross for a Bols Genever event at the Franklin Southie with the Zeeland. There, one of the botanicals in Bols Genever is wormwood and it added a lot to the complexity of the drink; to mimic that, I added a very light touch of absinthe for some herbal complexity. For a name, I ended up pairing the recipe with the Mr. Mister song Broken Wings due to all of the high notes in the mix.

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass containing 1 oz soda water. Garnish with 6-8 pre-swelled Thai basil seeds (also known as tukmaria and falooda). A lemon twist would work in a pinch.
(*) 1 part strong steep tea to 1 part sugar.

Two Yacht Rock Sundays ago at Loyal Nine, I was mulling over some less bitter herbal cocktail ideas when I decided on pairing green tea syrup with Yellow Chartreuse. Or perhaps I was looking for a recipe using Thai basil seeds that I had in the spice cabinet. Thai basil seeds are small black seeds that swell when placed into water over the course of around 5-10 minutes. I was originally introduced to the seeds in a drink at the Green Goddess, and I tinkered with them in the Frog Pond for they look like frog eggs given the white coating that they acquire. Back to the spirits aspect, I paired this with gin and lemon juice but the drink needed some bitters to give some lower notes to the tea and Yellow Chartreuse's high ones. The addition of Angostura Bitters brought the drink closer to a gin for brandy Champs-Élysées. Given how the Thai basil seeds dance with carbonation, I also lightened the drink with an ounce of soda akin to the Safety Dance. With the same wide coupe, the basil seeds got lost in the surface area, so I used a taller, narrower glass. For a name -- or perhaps the name was already in my mind for the basil seeds also look like eye balls -- I picked Eric Carmen's Hungry Eyes off of the yacht rock song playlist. Describing the origins of this drink though is like figuring out the chicken and the egg conundrum.

Thai basil seeds can be found in their dry format Indian spice stores under the name tukmaria or falooda, and are often found in a variety of Asian drinks already swelled (less useful). Swelling the seeds is easy in a small glass with a bit of tap water. I have experimented with flavoring the seeds with little luck. The swelling is linked to low solute rainwater and thus adding syrups and liqueurs inhibited things; moreover, even if it did work, the seeds might sink instead of float in the cocktail. I have not tried swelling the seeds and transferring them to a syrup or liqueur though. Warmer water may speed up the swelling time, but it did not seem to make the end diameter any greater.

Monday, September 28, 2015

Stir with ice and strain into a rocks glass with a large ice cube. Garnish with a grapefruit twist.

At the nightcap hour after my Saturday shift two weekends ago, I turned to the Death & Co. Cocktail Book for a recipe. There, Phil Ward's Terrible Love from 2013 called out to me for the combination of gentian and elderflower liqueurs worked rather well in The Root and the Flower and the Prieure de Sion. Once mixed, the Terrible Love shared a grapefruit and smoke bouquet. On the palate, the pear-like flavor from the St. Germain on the sip gave way to smoky agave and earthy gentian on the swallow with an orange and floral finish.

Two Fridays ago for my post-work nightcap, I turned to the grand prize winner of the "Show Me the Proof" Cognac competition that I mentioned in the Orientation. This one was the Frenchman Street Cocktail created by Timothy Miner of the Long Island Bar. This New Orleans-inspired cocktail did not only look delicious, but I was excited to try another of Tim's recipes after having enjoyed the Handbook for the Recently Deceased and the Sherry Duval.

The Frenchman Street Cocktail proffered a dark orange peel aroma. The vermouth's grape on the sip soon transitioned into brandy on the swallow. The finish though was an intriguing combination of chocolate-orange with a dry anise ending.

Sunday, September 27, 2015

Shake with ice and pour into a tall glass. Garnish with a lime wedge and an orange slice both speared to a cocktail cherry (here, nasturtiums and mint).

Two Thursdays ago, I turned to Beachbum Berry's Remixed for a Tiki nightcap. The one that called out for my post-shift drink at home was one of Jeff Berry's originals, the Hai Karate that he created in 1999. With my mint and nasturium garnish, the Hai Karate offered a mint and peppery floral aroma. Tart lime and orange flavors on the sip flipped into rum blending into maple and pineapple on the swallow with a clove finish.

Saturday, September 26, 2015

Stir with ice and strain into a rocks glass with ice seasoned with Campari. Garnish with an orange twist.

Two Wednesday ago, I turned to Beta Cocktails for nightcap ideas. Of the untried ones, Maksym Pazuniak's A Moment of Silence definitely called out to me. The pairing of Averna and apricot liqueur was one elegantly showcased in the inelegantly named Averna Jimjam, and here instead of lemon juice, the drying effects of Angostura Bitters along with a spirit backbone of rye and apple brandy fulfill the role.

A Moment of Silence began with an apricot aroma that was brightened by the twist's orange oil. Next, a rich caramel and malt sip gave way to rye and apricot on the swallow. Finally, the end was rather complex for it finished very bitter followed by sweet and fruity notes.

Friday, September 25, 2015

On Tuesday, I attended the first installment of the Diageo World Class classes that are the educational series leading up to the competition. While I have no plans of competing in this event right now, I am always game for gleaning knowledge from experts. The first session of the day's three was led by Charles Joly who won World Class in 2014, and the title was "Ketel One Food Pairing."

Charles began by describing how he initially solely relied on his chef and trusted his palate and the way he could break things down. And even today, when he takes on a consultancy, the first thing he does is walking into the kitchen to see what the chef is playing with. Traditionally, most pairings have been food and wine, and people declared that cocktails were both too high in ABV and too flavorful. However, while sommeliers have fixed constraints by what the vintners put in a bottle, bartenders can endlessly alter recipes to better fit the food.

Charles next discussed the history of vodka and food pairings, and in doing so, made a good argument for its place on the menu. Vodka tasting can actually be rather challenging because the subtleties of flavor require a fresh palate as opposed to analyzing a set of Scotches; Charles described a lineup of vodkas to taste as "the thinking flight." Vodka has traditionally been paired with food for quite a long time especially in Eastern Europe and Russia. In many of these countries, there will always be at least hors d'oeuvres while drinking. Moreover, flavored vodkas go back hundreds of years -- perhaps from the beginning -- whether to hide off flavors in the distillate or to enhance the spirit with seasonal ingredients.

Charles then addressed the difference between taste and flavor. Taste is the standard five of sweet, sour, bitter, salt, and umami, while flavor is everything else including aroma and texture. Many of the the five tastes work to enhance or balance the others. With salt and umami, they balance bitterness and enhance sweetness; this is why a peanut butter and jelly sandwich works so well. With sweet, it balances sour, bitterness, and spice, and it enhances salt which is why salted caramel is so delicious. With sour, it works with spice and sweetness and enhances salt. Charles continued to describe how many bartenders add a pinch of salt (or dash of saline) in a Sour recipe and why the salted rim in a Margarita is so successful in brightening the flavors; note, this is not a perceivable amount of salt -- if you can taste the salt, it is too much. Finally, bitterness balances sweet and salt. Bitterness is what makes grapefruit a very different citrus fruit; for example, its addition in a Hemingway Daiquiri along with Maraschino is very different than just a Daiquiri with Maraschino.

In pairings, one possibility is to complement with a like mirroring a like whether in structure, flavor, texture, intensity, or bridging ingredients. The other possibility is to contrast where opposites attract whether in structure, flavor, or texture. With the drink, you do not want to beat up the chef's food; the goal is to complement but not overwhelm or muddy things up either. So keep it simple. Often the bartender does not have the opportunity to try out the foods and only has the menu description in hand. Moreover, the drink might be pairing with multiple dishes served during the same course or spanning two courses.

In terms of alcohol percentages, low alcohol is important since it helps with food; however, high ABV can cut through fat. A downside of boozy drinks is that it can enhance spice and make things too hot as well as get the guests too trashed to appreciate the later courses that the chef prepared. Indeed, smaller servings is a way to overcome these alcohol quantity concerns. When designing drinks, calculating the ABV is rather helpful. Consider a 30% dilution as a good standard; see the image below for an example of this calculation. In looking for inspiration, do not think of mirroring the exact ingredients that are in the dish; instead, look regionally and culturally to add elements found in that food's culture. Finally, subtlety is key in food pairings such as using only a light touch instead of a heavy hand with absinthe.

Charles offered a few examples along the way of food pairings and their effects before we got to tinker at the bar setups in the back of the room to create pairings with two dishes. During the vodka tasting section, pickled fish with all of its salt, vinegar, and umami worked excellent with Ketel One. Charles noted that the pickleback was nothing new for the Scandinavians had long utilized this phenomenon as the brine balances out the acid in the booze. Next, Ketel One Oranje when matched with Camembert accented the cheese's earthy, sweet, umami, and creamy notes. When presented with a steak with peppercorn sauce and dill, many will think about a Manhattan which is a more drastic pairing. A softer pairing can be achieved with a drink including lemon juice, a fruity Lambic beer, and some herbs; here, acid instead of tannin is utilized to cut the fat, and the Lambic beer is hinting towards a shrub. Finally, with a New York-style cheesecake topped with blueberry sauce, a Campari drink (vodka, Campari, and a barspoon Fernet) brought out the cheesiness, salt, umami from the cake and enhanced the fruit in the sauce. Charles would be hesitant to serve a Campari drink like this to a wider audience, but with a room of bartenders, he felt comfortable. Also, a drink such as this needs to be served well chilled, so a smaller portion besides cutting back on the alcohol consumption will help ensure that it does not get too warm and thus flabby or unbalanced.

After the Orientation, I wanted to make another drink using the remaining lemon juice, so I turned to Pioneers of Mixing at Elite Bars: 1903-1933 for ideas. There, I spotted the Creole again, but I have passed it over since there is a better known Creole that is a delicious Benedictine and Picon Manhattan variation (the link has an Amer Picon-less substitution). However, I am a sucker for Jamaican rum, sherry, and light touches of anise flavors, so I final gave in and made this other, more obscure Creole.

In the glass, the Creole gave forth rum funk and anise aromas. Next, lemon, caramel, and grape on the sip transitioned into funky rum and nutty Maraschino on the swallow with an anise spice finish.

Two Tuesdays ago, I decided to make one of the runner up drinks in the "Show Me The Proof" Cognac competition back in December. The Orientation by Dead Rabbits' Gregory Buda seemed to have the classic Japanese Cocktail as its backbone with sherry and lemon juice added in for complexity. Perhaps the "Orient" in the name is a nod to the the Land of the Rising Sun, or perhaps I should describe the flavor profile instead of looking too deeply into this one. Indeed, the Orientation greeted the nose with a nutty grape aroma from the orgeat and oxidized sherry. The lemon juice added a crisp citrus note to counter the richness and grape on the sip, and the swallow paired the brandy with the nuttiness from the sherry and orgeat. Finally, the drink ended with a dryness from the bitters' spice on the finish.

Wednesday, September 23, 2015

The other drink that I had at Estragon was also from bartender Sahil Mehta's recipe notebook. This spiced Special Daiquiri-like cachaça number lacked a name, and I dubbed it the Tropicália after the Brazilian musical style that is a fusion of traditional Brazilian rhythms with foreign rock and roll influences. I became acquainted with the style through bands like Os Mutantes that people at the radio station I worked at were excited about. Moreover, this is not unlike the cachaça Sahil was using which made its way from Brazil over to France to be finished in used Cognac barrels. Once mixed, the drink offered grassy funk aromas spiced with cumin notes. Next, lime and passion fruit on the sip transitioned into a grassy and passion fruit swallow accented with cumin and clove.

Monday, September 21, 2015

Last Monday, we ventured down to the South End to have dinner at Estragon. For a first drink, I searched through bartender Sahil Mehta's recipe book and spotted an unnamed sherry and tequila number that was one of his drinks of the day. For a name, I dubbed this one the Palenque after the bullfighting ring, but it is also the name of an ancient Mayan city. Once prepared, it offered a nutty sherry aroma at first with Campari's orange notes creeping in over time. Next, grape on the sip led into tequila, nutty, and bitter orange flavors on the swallow with a ginger finish that gained coffee accents with successive sips.

Sunday, September 20, 2015

Stir with ice and strain into an Old Fashioned Glass with one large cube. Garnish with an orange twist.

Last week after my Yacht Rock Sunday shift, I needed a nightcap so I turned to the Death & Co. Cocktail Book for inspiration. There, I spotted Brad Farran's 2012 creation, the Arrack Strap, that appeared like a two rum Manhattan of sorts. Once built, it offered orange and dark molasses notes on the nose. Grape with hints of orange on the sip gave way to dark rum, funky Arrack, and bitter orange flavors on the swallow with hints of chocolate on the finish.

Saturday, September 19, 2015

Last Saturday after my shift, I was looking through a few old cocktail books for a nightcap. The one I ended up selecting was the Cubano from Trader Vic's 1947 Bartender's Guide which seemed like an interesting tropical and spiced Martini variation. I had also spotted it in Boothby's 1934 World Drinks and How to Mix Them, but I had passed over the recipe for it just said "pineapple" which gave the impression of a shaken juice-driven drink. I later discovered that the Cubano Cocktail first appeared in the Savoy Cocktail Book with a few dashes of "Charbreux" also in the mix. My curiosity about this ingredient led to this Cocktaildb explanation that links references to this ingredient to solely this recipe:

Charbreux: Defunct term cited in bar books which is theorized to have been a corruption/typo for Les Peres Chartreux, the name given to Chartreuse during the period 1903-1940 when it was produced solely in Tarragona, Spain. The only reference to this product with this spelling was in a drink named the Cubano. Its first appearance was in the Savoy Cocktail Book (London 1930). In 1934, "Cocktail Bill" Boothby listed the recipe in his guide with the ingredient entirely eliminated, as did Trader Vic in 1947. Ever since, (as here,) "Charbreux" only shows up in recipe lists which draw from the Savoy book - or from the books which drew from those books!

A little Green Chartreuse in the mix would not have hurt, but that was not the recipe that I had spotted that night. In the glass, the Cubano shared juniper and caraway aromas with a hint of pineapple. On the sip, sweet tropical fruit transitioned into gin and kümmel spice on the swallow with a pineapple finish.

Friday, September 18, 2015

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a lemon twist.

Last Friday, I turned to Stephen Siegelman's 2005 Trader Vic's Tiki Party for a post-shift libation. There, I spotted the Boomerang which appeared like a split spirits Hurricane that added pisco to the mix. I had avoided this drink at first in deference to the 1930s Boomerang from the Café Royal Cocktail Book, but this recipe seemed too refreshing to pass up.

Instead of serving it in a cocktail glass, I decided to gussy it up Tiki style, and the garnishes contributed floral and mint aromas. Next, lemon and passion fruit on the sip gave way to funky rum, pisco's floral notes, and passion fruit on the swallow.

Thursday, September 17, 2015

Shake once without ice and once with ice, strain into a glass, and garnish with freshly grated nutmeg.

One of the servers at Loyal Nine is obsessed with Flips regardless of the weather. In developing one to satisfy his requests, I scanned the shelves for unused ingredients and happened upon the St. George Spiced Pear. That ingredient made me think of the Endicott Cobbler that I created at Russell House Tavern. Instead of the sherry to pair with the Averna and fruit liqueur, I opted for the house preference of Madeira, and to give the drink a back bone, I selected a rich Haitian rum. While it turned out rather well, it needed a touch of sweetness to fulfill the dessert role, and a dash of honey syrup was the answer.

The drink lived for over a month without a name, and last week it felt like the time to give it an identity. I took the historical angle and looked for a parallel group to the Loyal Nine besides the Sons of Liberty. One that caught my attention was the Boston Caucus Club, a political organization that had great influence leading up to the Revolution and led to the word "caucus" being associated with politics. The club frequently met in taverns such as the Salutation and the Green Dragon Taverns to plot their rebellious ways. Moreover, the latter location was where they schemed the Boston Tea Party in 1773.

Stir with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. I added an orange twist.

Last Thursday, I turned to Boothby's 1934 World Drinks & How to Mix Them for my post-shift nightcap. There, I was drawn to the Brainstorm in part for the name and in part for the appearance of a drier Bobby Burns variation. In the glass, the Brainstorm's twist added bright orange oil aromas over that of the Scotch's smoke. The malty sip soon led into a smoky whisky swallow with a chocolate-minty herbal finish.

Wednesday, September 16, 2015

The theme for this month's Mixology Monday (MxMo CI) was picked by DJ Hawaiian Shirt of the Spirited Remix blog. The theme he chose was "Orange Juice," and he elaborated on his choice with his description of, "It really irritates me when people dismiss an ingredient. Whether it's too ordinary, or difficult, or inconsistent, or overpowering, I can't help but feel such conclusions are lazy and defeatist. Your theme this month is 'Orange Juice,' an ingredient I too often see derided or ignored when it comes to thoughtful mixology. Surely an assembly of such mixological brawn as MxMo can find or create a delicious way to mix OJ, right?"

In discussing this with DJ, I pointed out that there was an early MxMo with an Zodiac tie-in orange theme, but how I understood how certain drinks like the Olympic were horrible. And I recalled conversations with John Gertsen about how orange juice made Boston's Ward Eight uninspiring which is why he frequently opts for orange bitters instead. Therefore, I agreed it was something that ought to be addressed despite some overlap in theme. Afterwards, I realized that the Satan's Whiskers, Monkey Gland, and Tiki drinks like the Fog Cutter all shine with orange juice's smoothing character. Moreover, orange juice perhaps is the key ingredient that saves the Blood and Sand from being a hot mess. But on the other side of things, there is the abomination that is the Tequila Sunrise that is only a joy to make since it allows me to sink grenadine at the bottom of a Highball glass. For inspiration as to an orange juice recipe, I turned to Imbibe Magazine and their online database. There, I found the Luau Daiquiri that is served at Beachbum Berry's Latitude 29. Given that there are recipes named after the Luau Room in Berry's books, I cannot discern if this was their original recipe or merely one they provided. Regardless, about a fifth of this drink was orange juice which should allow the ingredient to shine through.

The Luau Daiquiri began with a lime oil aroma over the rum's funk. Lime and orange paired up on the sip that led into a funky rum swallow with a vanilla finish. Indeed, the orange gave a smoothness and tropicalness to the flavor profile. However, it needed to be paired with lime juice to give the body any structure; this of course will not the case when bitter oranges such as Seville are available for a short window in January. Moreover, without the orange juice, the Luau Daiquiri would have come across like a less spiced Winter Daiquiri.

Thanks to DJ Hawaiian Shirt for hosting Mixology Monday again and allowing us to shine a spotlight on ways orange juice can function to make drinks more distinctive instead of masking flavors and flaws. And thanks to all of the MxMo participants for getting out the juicers and keeping this event going month after glorious month. Cheers!

Tuesday, September 15, 2015

Stir with ice and strain into a rocks glass spritzed with shiitake mushroom-infused absinthe.

After the Hawthorne, I still had time in the Kenmore area before the game let out in Fenway so I made my way to Hojoko. I soon discovered that Yawkey Way was blocked off to foot traffic due to the game, but I was able to Jedi mindtrick the guard into letting me through to go get cocktails on the other side. Once there, I found a seat in front of bartender Stephanie Ann Wheeler, and I asked her for the Budokan. Bartender Daren Swisher later came by to talk about their rum Sazerac of sorts and described how Madeira often has a mushroomy aspect to it, and the shiitake-infused absinthe helped to reinforce that.

The absinthe rinse paid dividends in the aroma department. Next, caramel richness from the rum dominated the sip with perhaps some grape notes hiding in there, and the swallow showcased the rest of the rum flavors along with bitter herbal elements.

Stir with ice and strain into a rocks glass with a large ice cube. Garnish with an orange twist.
(*) A sweet vermouth made with oloroso-like wines.

For a second drink at the Mixtape event at the Hawthorne, I asked Cooper & King's Josh Durr for another Sonic Youth-inspired libation, namely the Boulevardier in the Heather. Josh described how a friend of his made a Negroni variation with the Giffard's banana liqueur, and he in turned riffed off of that drink to make this whiskey-brandy libation. Once in the glass, the drink offered orange oil aromas. Grape and malt on the sip were paired with a dryness, and the swallow began with Bourbon and bitter orange flavors and ended with a banana finish.

Last Tuesday, the Hawthorne hosted a Cooper & King's event entitled "Mixtape" that featured "cocktails interpreting the music of Weezer & Sonic Youth" using the brand's spirits. Being a Sonic Youth fan since the late 80's, I honed in on the pair created by Josh Durr named after songs from the band's Experimental Jet Set, Trash, & No Star album, and I began with the Androgynous Cadillac Margarita. Josh described the unaged brandy in the drink as a very phenolic eau de vie of muscat grapes with pear and malic notes; the closest thing that I could compare it to was a grappa crossed with a pisco.

This Cadillac Margarita variation began with a mineral, grape, and orange nose. Next, the sip began with grape and rich citrus notes and later gained a minerality as it warmed up. Finally, the swallow shared tequila, pear-like, and gentian flavors that ended cleanly on the finish.

Sunday, September 13, 2015

Briefly pulse in a blender with 1 cup crushed ice (shake with ice and strain over crushed ice). Pour into a glass and garnish with a rock candy stick and a mint sprig (ornamental pea blossoms and mint).

After returning from Camp Runamok last Sunday, I was in the mood for a nightcap so I turned to Stephen Siegelman's Trader Vic's Tiki Party! for guidance. There, I spotted the Tutu Rum Punch that seemed like a good way to ease back into being home. Once prepared, it offered a mint and floral aroma. Next, grapefruit and the rum's caramel notes on the sip gave way to dark rum, pineapple, and clove flavors on the swallow.

Friday, September 11, 2015

Blend with 2 parts ice and pour into cups. A part in an average batch here was around 10 ounces and made made 5-8 servings.

This past week I attended Camp Runamok in Kentucky, and I was lucky enough to be placed in the Cynar cabin. Our cabin's counselor, Steve Yamada of Latitude 29, planned out the cabin drink by sending a blender down in advance as well as the fixings (save for the Cynar supplied by our cabin's sponsor). The drink was the Cynar Colada, and pictured here was the first round of many that we made for ourselves and any guests that visited our cabin. The first round also conjured up singing of, "If you like Cynar Coladas, and getting caught in the rain..." and was served in coconut glasses with fancy flower straws; the rest out of necessity were served in normal cups. Cynar like many caramel-driven amari works great with pineapple juice, and the Coco Lopez functioned well to smooth out the Cynar's herbal funkiness to make the libation even more accessible. While Cynar's proof worked well with our cabin theme of the "Low Gravity Boys," a few batches were made split with Bourbon or rum to honor visiting guests' sponsors as well. Soon, Cynar Coladas became the talk of camp, and things of this nature did not hurt our end result of placing second for best camp cabin that week!

Thursday, September 10, 2015

Shake with a half scoop of shaved ice and pour into a Pilsner glass. Garnish with mint and serve with straws.

After Yacht Rock Sunday, I wanted to make a Tiki drink for myself. For ideas, I turned to Trader Vic's 1974 Rum Cookery & Drinkery and spotted the Potted Parrot which looked a lot like a Mai Tai with lemon and orange instead of lime juice. Once prepared, it offered mint and floral aromas. A crisp lemon and orange sip led into a rum, orange, and almond swallow.

Wednesday, September 9, 2015

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Fill with crushed ice, garnish with a grapefruit twist, and add a straw.

Two weeks ago, I had a ticket for a dealer's choice citrussy mocktail, and I made up a combination of tamarind and cinnamon syrups and grapefruit and lime juices in equal parts served over crushed ice. A little while later, I received another ticket for a repeat of that mocktail and a request for that drink with booze! The boozy version looked a lot like the recipe above except that I used Old Monk Rum and no bitters; since there is already Old Monk Rum recipe on the Yacht Rock Sunday menu at Loyal Nine, I decided to bolster Privateer Amber Rum with Fee's Molasses Bitters to simulate that rum. Overall, I was impressed at how well the grapefruit and the cinnamon worked with the tamarind.

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with an orange twist.

For Yacht Rock Sunday two Sundays ago, I wanted to do something with the bottle of Swedish punsch that arrived at the bar earlier that week. Looking through Swedish punsch recipes that I have tried before, the Havana Cocktail caught my eye since it also called for apricot liqueur that arrived in the same delivery as the punsch. I had also thought about how well tequila worked with Swedish punsch in the Chutes & Ladders, so I decided to switch the base spirit from gin to mezcal and the citrus from lemon to lime.

The Tainted Love greeted the nose with orange and apricot aromas. Lime and orchard fruit on the sip gave way to smoky mezcal, funky rum, and tea tannins on the swallow with an apricot finish. Here, the mezcal's smoke was a part of the drink instead of being dominant.

Tuesday, September 8, 2015

Stir with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. I garnished with an orange twist.

As a nightcap after my Saturday evening shift, I felt the desire for a straight spirits drink especially as the temperatures have been dropping. For inspiration, I turned to Pioneers of Mixing at Elite Bars: 1903-1933. In the whisk(e)y section, I was drawn to the Sunshine which appeared like a Scotch and apple brandy version of the rye-based Liberal. In searching for similar drinks that I have had, it seems that I have never had Amer Picon (or replicas) with Scotch before, but I did have the Bonsoir with apple brandy. Moreover, it would give me a great excuse to try out my sample of the Amer Picon-like Wolfamer which is available in this country.

The Sunshine greeted my nose with orange and peat smoke notes. Grape and malt on the sip transitioned to apple and smoke on the swallow with a dark orange finish.

Shake with crushed ice and pour into a tall glass. Garnish with a cherry speared to a lime slice and a pineapple chunk (mint, nasturtiums, spent half lime shell).

After my shift two Fridays ago, my soul was in need of some Tiki. While flipping through Beachbum Berry's Remixed, one of the Zombie variations seemed like a decent option, namely the Zombie created at the Tonga Room circa 1945 at the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco. Overall, much more stripped down than the original Zombie which had seven ingredients besides the rum to the Tonga Room's three (and I thought the South Seas Zombie was stripped down with four). The Tonga Room is still around and they have revamped their menu; their Zombie is still three rums, lime, pineapple, and passion fruit, but it also includes lemon and Angostura Bitters in the mix. Once built to the historic recipe, the Tonga Room Zombie gave forth peppery floral and minty aromas. Next, lime, pineapple, and the rum's caramel notes on the sip led to the rest of the rum flavors and passion fruit on the swallow.

Two Thursdays ago, I decided to make the other drink that I spotted in Trader Vic's 1947 Bartender's Guide when I made the Cooper's Ranch Punch earlier in the week, namely the South Sea Dipper. The recipe was not specific as to whether the passion fruit element was nectar, purée, or syrup; I assumed it was nectar (which I lack at home) and merged it with the sugar ingredient idea so as to use passion fruit syrup instead. In the glass, the South Sea Dipper gave forth mint and floral aromas. Next, lime and passion fruit on the sip led to rum and pineapple on the swallow. While the port float looked attractive, it did not add much to the drink. Perhaps increasing the volume to an ounce or more would help here.

Stir with ice and strain into a rocks glass with a big ice cube. Twist an orange peel over the top.

Two Wednesdays ago, Andrea and I ventured over to the Hawthorne after dinner to catch Drink's Jan Andrew Brown guest bartending at the Hawthorne. While Jan was busy making drinks at the other end of the bar, I asked bartender Jason Kilgore for the St. Bernard's Pass subtitled "take the high road down" off of Jan's menu for the evening. The drink most likely refers to the Great St. Bernard Pass that connects Switzerland and Italy between the two highest peaks of the Alps not too far from where Amaro Braulio is made.

The St. Bernard's Pass gave forth an orange oil bouquet with hints of dark caramel and herbal notes to the nose. Caramel from the amaro dominated the sip, and the swallow was an elegant pairing of the Cognac and the bitter herbal flavors of the Braulio. Overall, the drink had the balance and feel of a Toronto, and of course was similar but more intense than the Peloni.

Sunday, September 6, 2015

Shake with ice and strain into a Collins glass with 1 oz soda water. Top with ice and garnish with a mint sprig.

After the Cooper's Ranch Punch, I turned to the recipe sheet from the Bartender's Breakfast at this year's Tales of the Cocktail. I was quickly drawn to the Gilbert's Melodeon crafted at the White Chapel bar soon to open in San Francisco. For a name, they paid tribute to an old San Francisco theater or "variety hall" that opened circa the 1850s. Once prepared, it shared a mint aroma. Next, a carbonated lime sip was bolstered by pineapple and green herbal notes. Most of the herbal elements came through on the swallow though with gin and Green Chartreuse at the beginning and mint on the finish.

Shake with ice and strain into a glass with ice and top with soda water. I shook without ice first to integrate the jelly better, then added ice and shook again, and strained into a glass containing 1 1/2 oz soda water.

Two Tuesdays ago, I turned to our copy of Trader Vic's 1947 Bartender's Guide and spotted the Cooper's Ranch Punch. I was drawn in by the call for guava jelly since I have a modification of the West Indies Punch on the menu at Loyal Nine that also calls for the stuff (I put the modification on Instagram, but we now use what works out to 3/16 oz 1:1 guava jelly "syrup" (we had a more pliable guava paste before) when we batch it).

The punch shared mint, floral, and tropical fruit aromas. Lime, guava, and pomegranate on the sip had an interesting balance of crisp versus mellow flavors especially with the soothing pectin from the jelly in the mix. And finally, the swallow shared the rum and pineapple notes.

Saturday, September 5, 2015

Stir with ice and strain into a rocks glass. Garnish with an orange twist.

For a second drink, I asked bartender Vannaluck Hongthong for the Oude Negroni. Van joked that we had picked 3 of Joel Atlas' drinks that night, but he was not surprised since Joel took the lead to update the list as others at the bar were traveling, guest bartending, and competing. Once in a glass, the Oude Negroni shared lemon, grape, and malty aromas. The malt and grape notes continued on into the sip, and the swallow offered a bitter herbal finish. While the finish was not citrussy like Campari, it did otherwise have a similar feel and balance.

For a second drink, Andrea asked Van for the Sherry Colada; it was prepared to the same recipe that I wrote about back in January, but Ran Duan changed the presentation of his drink after he went to London and was inspired to buy new glassware. Here, the drink is served in a flower vase of sorts with an Angostura Bitters float, an orchid, and a pineapple leaf, and the presentation was stunning enough to post the photo and the update.

Stir with ice and strain into a small white wine glass. Garnish with a cherry and a lemon twist.

For my first drink at the Baldwin Room at Sichuan Garden, I asked bartender Anthony Vibert for the Domina. Anthony mentioned that it was created by bartender Joel Atlas and featured an American brandy made in Kentucky by the Copper and Kings distillery. Once prepared, the Domina offered a lemon and cherry aroma from the garnishes. Next, the grape notes from the two vermouths paired up on the sip, and the swallow continued with a medley of grape flavors with an apricot and cinnamon finish.

Friday, September 4, 2015

Muddle the lime pieces with the sugar. Add the rest of the ingredients and ice, shake, and pour into a rocks glass. Top with ice, garnish with a lime wheel, and add a straw.

Two Monday ago, Andrea and I traveled to Woburn to have dinner at the Baldwin Bar at Sichuan Garden II. That night, bartenders Vannaluck Hongthong and Anthony Vibert were at the stick. For a first drink, Andrea asked Anthony for the Veldt which he mentioned was bartender Joel Atlas' creation. I did not inquire about the name which is a term for the open, uncultivated grasslands in southern Africa; perhaps Joel was inspired by the Ray Bradbury story by that name that was originally published as "The World the Children Made." Regardless, I was curious to try this Caipirinha riff especially since mezcal and cachaça have paired well in drinks like the Adorable Bartender.

The Veldt presented lime, smoke, and cachaça funk in the aroma department. On the tongue, lime flavors well balanced in the sweet-tart arena on the sip gave way to funky and grassy notes blending into smoky agave on the swallow.

After Yacht Rock Sunday, I decided to treat myself with a drink from Trader Vic's 1946 Book of Food & Wine. I had seen the curiously named Pikaki before but the small additions of ingredients seemed a bit uninspiring; therefore, this time I decided to increase the amounts to make it less of a spirit-driven drink served in a cocktail glass and more of a Tiki drink served in a tall one. Pikaki, despite sounding like a type of Japanese noodle, is an aromatic Hawaiian flower similar to Jasmine but sweeter that is used in leis. Given that, garnishing with Cosmo flowers did not seem out of line.

The garnish I added to the Pikaki donated mint and floral aromas. The sip was rather fruity from the raspberry and citrus along with a caramel dark note from the Coruba Rum. Finally, the swallow shared the funkiness of the two Jamaican rums with an intriguing raspberry-pineapple combination on the finish.

Thursday, September 3, 2015

For Yacht Rock Sunday two weeks ago, I was thinking of uses for Velvet Falernum and returned to the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club. Instead of orange liqueur, I opted for an elderflower one since the one drink on the Yacht Rocktail list using it, Hungry Like the Wolf, had been bumped to the main list where it is a top seller. The drink was a bit sweet, so I tried Angostura Bitters to beat back the sweetness and complement the falernum spice, but this took the drink in a dark and unpleasant direction. I, therefore, tried Peychaud's Bitters next and they worked great; soon, it dawned on me that I had formulated the rum drink similar to Brother Cleve's Bourbon libation the Ninth Ward. For a name, I opted for a song title from Toto from the playlist, Hold the Line.

Two Saturdays ago, I turned to the Tiki Drinks: Tropical Cocktails for the Modern Bar book where I had spotted the Outrigger; the drink called out to me for it seemed like an interesting ginger and clove variation on a Daiquiri. In the glass, it offered a mint bouquet to the nose. Next, lemon and dark molasses notes on the sip led into dark caramel, grassy funk, ginger, and clove on the swallow.

Wednesday, September 2, 2015

Shake with ice and strain into a Tiki mug filled with crushed ice. Garnish with Tiki intent, and add a straw.

My quest for my nightcap drink two Fridays ago started earlier that week with an Instagram from CocktailWonk mentioning that he made at home Jason Alexander's Golden Shellback that Jason created at Tacoma Cabana in Washington State. This sent me on a search to find a recipe since the ingredients sounded intriguing, and luckily Tiare had posted one in an interview she did with Jason.

Since the drink was an attractive yellow color instead of a murky brown one, I decided to show off the drink in a fancy glass vase instead of an opaque mug. Once constructed, the Golden Shellback shared floral and mint aromas. Next, the sip was lemon with a fruitiness from the pineapple, but most of the pineapple flavor came through on the swallow along with rum notes, nutty orgeat, and a pleasing herbal complexity.

Shake with cracked ice and pour over cracked ice in a 12 oz chimney glass.

Two Thursdays ago after a shift at work, I turned to Trader Vic's 1946 Book of Food & Drink and returned to the Shingle Stain. I had passed over this recipe before due to the name, but I gave in due to Vic's plea, "Now don't take a shingle off the roof. This is really good. No fooling." Moreover, I figured that it was a good recipe to break in one of my new purchases at the Boston Shaker store's tiki sale.

The garnishes I added contributed mint and floral aromas to the drink that masked the funky and grassy rums and allspice liqueur. Next, the sip shared the dark rum's caramel notes along with lime and pomegranate flavors, and the swallow featured the grassy and funky rums that were complemented by an allspice finish.

Tuesday, September 1, 2015

Stir with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with an orange twist.

After the early 20th century Quaker, I turned to Paul Clarke's The Cocktail Chronicles book for a more modern recipe. There, I spotted Seattle bartender Jay Kuehner's Cienciano that he named after the Peruvian soccer club founded in 1901. I was drawn towards the recipe for it paired pisco and cachaça that I have also combined in Javari Mai Tai and the Loreto Swizzle. In this straight spirits drink, the two liquors were accented by a dry nutty sherry and a rich cola-orange amaro which seemed like a great combination.

The Cienciano conjured orange aromas from the garnish and floral ones perhaps from the pisco. Next, caramel and grape from the amaro and sherry filled the sip, and on the swallow, the nuttiness of the sherry was complemented by the clean grape distillate of the pisco. Finally, the swallow ended with an herbal, grassy funk on the finish; moreover, the drink ended drier than it began on the sip.

The recipe lacks preparation instructions so I shook with ice and strained in a rocks glass with crushed ice. It does say to decorate with slices of orange, but here I used lime.

Two Wednesdays ago, I turned to Pioneer of Mixing at Elite Bars: 1903-1933 to start the cocktail hour. There, I spotted the Quaker in the rum section; I had passed over this recipe before because I figured that it was a variation on (or predecessor of) the Quaker's Cocktail from Harry McElhone's 1927 Barflies & Cocktails. As I considered the two recipes, the only overlap was the rum and raspberry syrup; however, one used lemon and the other lime, and one split the spirit with brandy and the other flavored things with apricot. Perhaps the two are closer if the Quaker's apricot brandy is actually dry eau de vie instead of sweet liqueur as I opted for. This time, the recipe reminded me of a Periodista with raspberry in place of the triple sec, and I decided to give it a go regardless of the other drink entry in the collection here.

The Quaker began with a fresh lime and vaguely fruity funk of an aroma. The lime notes continued on into the sip where they mingled with hints of berry and orchard fruit, and the swallow broadcasted the funky Jamaican rum that was pleasantly soothed by the apricot.

who? what?

The euphemisms are getting a bit stale, suffice to say: four people in Boston -- two of whom are much more prolific writers than the other two (including the originator of this blog, who has no excuse apart from laziness) -- who drink and tell.

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The 2017 collection of 855 drink recipes, bartender tributes, and essays on hospitality from CocktailVirgin's Frederic Yarm. Available at Barnes and Noble and Amazon.

The 2012 collection of 505 drink recipes, techniques, and Boston bar recommendations from Frederic Yarm. Available at Amazon and Barnes and Noble.